How does cocaine use during pregnancy affect newborns?
Babies exposed to cocaine before they are born may start life with serious health problems. Babies of women who use cocaine regularly during pregnancy are between three and six times more likely to be born at a low birthweight (less than 5.5 pounds) than babies of women who do not use the drug. Low birthweight can result from poor growth before birth, premature birth, or a combination of both. Low-birthweight babies are 20 times more likely to die in their first month than normal-weight babies. Those who survive are at increased risk of lifelong disabilities including mental retardation, cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairment. Some studies suggest that cocaine-exposed babies are at increased risk of birth defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that mothers who used cocaine early in pregnancy were five times as likely to have a baby with a malformation of the urinary tract as mothers who do not use the drug. A number of studies have found that coca
